Upgrades for Eagles still available after Jalen Ramsey trade

By Nick FierroOf The Morning Call

Thursday

Oct 17, 2019 at 10:30 AM

Cornerbacks and wide receivers that can help are out there.

PHILADELPHIA — Just because the Los Angeles Rams won the sweepstakes for cornerback Jalen Ramsey on Tuesday doesn’t mean Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman can’t make some moves before the NFL trade deadline to help his struggling team survive the stretch run.

Other helpful cornerbacks and wide receivers are out there, and none presumably come with the price tag that Ramsey did when he cost the Rams two first-round picks and a fourth-rounder.

What’s also clear is that the Eagles need upgrades in both areas and cannot make the playoffs, much less advance, if the appropriate upgrades aren’t made.

Without the injured DeSean Jackson, the wide receiver group consists of Alshon Jeffery averaging 9.0 yards per catch, Nelson Agholor averaging 10.0 and not being able to track deep balls and essentially nobody else.

But even if Jackson, 32, completely recovers this week from the abdominal injury that has kept him out since Week 2, adding another reliable receiver would seem to be the most prudent thing they can do, because Jackson cannot be counted on to stay healthy at this stage of his career.

Likewise, even with the pending return of injured cornerbacks Jalen Mills, Ronald Darby and Cre’Von LeBlanc, they haven’t shown enough at that position to be able to compete with the best teams. That means obtaining help from outside the organization.

The receiver market appears to be more plentiful and infinitely less complicated.

For example, A.J. Green is not necessarily someone the Cincinnati Bengals might want to hang onto anymore, considering that they’re already 0-6. Of course the Hall-of-Fame-bound veteran also is injured (ankle) this year and hasn’t played yet. But with 8,907 receiving yards, 63 TD catches and a career average of 14.8 yards per reception, the 6-foot-4 giant would instantly become the perfect complement to Jackson (or Jeffery, if Jackson remains out).

If he heals.

DeVante Parker (17.6 yards per reception this season) is another player with immense talent who is toiling for a winless team (Miami). The Dolphins already have parted ways with their finest offensive lineman, Laremy Tunsil. So why not Parker?

If the price is right, the Eagles should not hesitate.

But what’s the right price?

Clearly, the Eagles were not interested in paying what the Jaguars wanted for Ramsey. So for Parker, who would have less impact, they shouldn’t even be ready to deal one first-rounder.

The problem is that they need two first-rate players this year, not one like in each of the previous two seasons.

So for the Eagles to contend this year, they’re going to have to give up a good many of their building blocks for the future and try to stay competitive in ways other than stockpiling draft picks and putting together a roster featuring many players on their first contracts.

Are they even willing?

While everyone (including possibly even Roseman himself) contemplates that, here are some more receivers to contemplate: Danny Amendola of the Lions, Tajae Sharpe of the Titans and Robby Anderson of the Jets.

Amendola, who will turn 34 in November, is averaging a career-high 12.3 yards per reception this season. He can still move.

Sharpe doesn’t have much of a future with the Titans, but he has tools and could be quite inexpensive.

Getting Anderson, of course, would require Roseman to deal with former right-hand man Joe Douglas. Sure they could work something out. Anderson is young and would benefit from a change of scenery.

Meanwhile, two of the cornerback targets may not be easily obtained because of their teams’ situations. Denver’s Chris Harris and Arizona’s Patrick Peterson are on teams who have each won two in a row and might not consider themselves sellers anymore.

But Xavien Howard of the Miami Dolphins could be an option. So could Trumaine Johnson of the Jets.

Both come with enormous contracts, however, which complicates things more for a team that needs more young players (with salary controlled contracts) and less veterans making big money.

What’s next for the Eagles is hard to project. But they have to do something, or it will be “Wait 'til next year.”

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